In the production of a lithographic printing plate precursor, a printed wiring substrate or an integrated circuit, such as photosensitive lithographic printing plate (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "PS plate"), the step of developing a layer of a material having a photosensitive resin composition provided on a substrate generally proceeds in such a manner that a part of the photosensitive resin composition of a printing plate precursor including a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor dissolves out into an alkali developer and thereby the development is performed. Therefore, the alkaline developer in the development tank diminishes in the activity due to the consumption of the alkali agent component. Even at the dead time where the development of the printing plate precursor or the like is not performed, the surface of the developer is always contacting with air and the developer absorbs carbon dioxide gas in air, as a result, the alkali agent component contained in the developer is consumed and the activity similarly decreases. In other words, the processing exhaustion occurring with the development of a photosensitive resin composition of a printing plate precursor or the like and the aging deterioration (or aging exhaustion) caused by the contacting of the developer with air simultaneously proceed more or less in the development processing apparatus. If the deterioration proceeds over a certain level, the development cannot be properly performed, therefore, a method of performing the development while preventing the deterioration by appropriately supplying a development replenisher is usually used.
For preventing the developer from diminishing in the activity, a method of supplying a replenisher containing an alkali agent or a buffer in a higher concentration than the developer in the development tank and thereby compensating the alkali consumption is usually used. This replenishing method is necessary for stably developing a large amount of a light-sensitive resin composition using a development processing apparatus but this method has the following problems.
1) Along with the replenishment, an overflow is discharged from the development tank and works out to a development waste solution which cannot be exhausted into sewage, therefore, means for treating the waste solution is necessary. The treatment of waste solution costs high and the treatment itself has an impact on the environment. PA1 2) In addition to the above-described problem, the replenishment is accompanied by useless discharge of the developer components such as alkali agent and this imposes a burden in view of profitability. PA1 3) The photosensitive resin composition dissolved out into the developer precipitates in the developer having a high salt concentration and adheres to the transportation system such as roller to cause abnormal transferability in the development processing apparatus or stopping of the development processing apparatus. Furthermore, the development processing apparatus is stopped at the time of removing the precipitate by cleaning the apparatus, therefore, the productivity decreases and additional labors and times are necessary for the cleaning operation. PA1 4) The chemicals added as an alkali agent or a buffer (e.g., silicate, phosphate) increase the salt concentration and the components dissolved out from the photosensitive resin composition readily precipitate in the transportation system or a tank (particularly in the case of silicate). PA1 1. A method for developing a material having a photosensitive resin composition, the method comprising developing a material having a plurality of photosensitive resin composition sheets in sequence with a developer, wherein the activity of developer is maintained by detecting the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development of the photosensitive resin composition and passing a current between two electrodes through a developer according to the degree of exhaustion detected. PA1 2. The method for developing a material having a photosensitive resin composition as described in 1 above, the method comprising developing a material having a plurality of photosensitive resin composition sheets, wherein the activity of developer is maintained using a development processing. apparatus comprising development means for processing the photosensitive resin composition with a developer, detection means for detecting the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development, means for passing a current between two electrodes through a developer and supply means for supplying hydroxy ion generated to the developer, by sequentially developing a plurality of photosensitive resin composition sheets with a developer, detecting the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development, and supplying hydroxy ion generated due to working of the means for passing a current, to the developer according to the degree of exhaustion detected. PA1 3. The method for developing a material having a photosensitive resin composition as described in 1 or 2 above, wherein the means for detecting the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development is at least one selected from the following three means: PA1 (1) reading of the processed area of the material having a photosensitive resin composition, PA1 (2) integration of intervals where the development of the material having a photosensitive resin composition is not performed in the development processing apparatus, and PA1 (3) measurement of the electric conductivity (hereinafter simply referred to as electroconductivity), specific gravity or opacity of the developer stored in the development processing apparatus. PA1 4. The method for developing a material having a photosensitive resin composition as described in any one of 1 to 3 above, wherein the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development is determined by combining (1) the reading of the processed area of the material having a photosensitive resin composition and (2) the integration of intervals where the development of the material having a photosensitive resin composition is not performed in the development processing apparatus. PA1 5. The method for developing a material having a photosensitive resin composition as described in any one of 1 to 4 above, wherein the development tank and the tank for passing a current between two electrodes through the developer are connected to each other by piping to constitute a circulatory system and the developer exhausted along with the development is reused after activating it by passing a current. PA1 6. The method for developing a material having a photosensitive resin composition as described in any one of 1 to 5 above, wherein the developer is an alkaline aqueous solution having a pH of 12.0 or more. PA1 7. The method for developing a material having a photosensitive resin composition as described in any one of 1 to 6 above, wherein. the washing water used for the washing or stopping step subsequent to the development step is contacting with the anode and at the same time electrically contacting with the developer through a diaphragm. PA1 8. The method for developing a material having a photosensitive resin composition as described in any one of 1 to 7 above, wherein the diaphragm partitioning respective electrode chambers of two electrodes is a divalent selective anion exchange membrane. PA1 9. A development processing apparatus for a material having a photosensitive resin composition, comprising development means for sequentially processing a material having a photosensitive resin composition with a developer, detection means for detecting the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development or the aging of developer, current-carrying means for passing a current between two electrodes through a developer to generate hydroxy ion, and circulation means for connecting the development means and the current-carrying means. PA1 10. A method for developing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor (i.e., the photosensitive lithographic printing original plate), comprising developing a lithographic printing plate precursor with an alkaline developer, the lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support having thereon a photosensitive layer formed by coating an infrared laser use positive photosensitive composition containing at least (A) an alkali-soluble polymer compound, (B) a compound which compatibilizes with the alkali-soluble polymer compound to reduce the solubility of the polymer compound in an alkali aqueous solution and diminish the action of reducing the solubility on heating and (C) a compound which absorbs light and thereby generates heat, wherein the activity of the developer is maintained by passing a current between electrodes of current-carrying means appending to development means and having a cathode chamber, an anode chamber and electrodes, through the developer in the cathode chamber. PA1 11. The method for developing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor as described in 10 above, wherein the photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor is a lithographic printing plate precursor having a photosensitive layer containing, in addition to the constituent components (A), (B) and (C), (D) a cyclic acid anhydride represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## PA1 12. The method for developing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor as described in 10 or 11 above, wherein the activity of developer is maintained by controlling the quantity of current passed between electrodes through the developer in the cathode chamber according to the degree of exhaustion of the developer occurring with the development and thereby controlling the production of hydroxy ion supplied to the developer. PA1 13. The method for developing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor as described in any one of 10 to 12 above, wherein the means for detecting the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development is at least one selected from the following three means: PA1 (1) reading of the processed area of the photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor, PA1 (2) integration of intervals where the development of the photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor is not performed in the development processing apparatus, and PA1 (3) measurement of the electric conductivity (hereinafter simply referred to as electroconductivity), specific gravity or opacity of the developer stored in the development processing apparatus. PA1 14. The method for developing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor as described in any one of 10 to 13 above, wherein the anode solution taken out from the anode chamber of the current-carrying means forms a part or the whole of the washing water used for the washing or stopping step subsequent to the development step. PA1 15. A development processing apparatus for photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursors, comprising: PA1 development means for developing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor, PA1 detection means for detecting the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development or the aging of developer, PA1 current-carrying means appending to the development means and having a cathode chamber and an anode chamber, for passing a current between electrodes through the developer in the cathode chamber to generate hydroxy ion, and PA1 liquid transfer means (hereinafter, sometimes, called circulation means) for connecting the development means and the current-carrying means. PA1 16. A development processing apparatus for photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursors, comprising: PA1 development means for developing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor, PA1 washing or stopping means for stopping or washing the printing plate precursor delivered from the development step, PA1 detection means for detecting the exhaustion of developer occurring with the development or the aging of developer, PA1 current-carrying means appending to the development means and having a cathode chamber and an anode chamber, for passing a current between electrodes through the developer in the cathode chamber to generate hydroxy ion in the cathode chamber and at the same time generate hydrogen ion in the anode chamber, PA1 liquid transfer means for connecting the development means and the current-carrying means, and PA1 liquid transfer means for connecting the washing or stopping means and the current-carrying means PA1 (1) the amounts of chemicals used as the developer components can be reduced and the amount of waste solution discharged can be reduced; PA1 (2) the feeding of alkali can be controlled by a proper index, the development quality can be maintained and the operation can be stably performed while preventing the dissolved components from precipitating in the developer circulating system; and PA1 (3) in the case where the anode solution is used for the replenisher in the water washing, particularly water washing by low replenishment, the relief image in the non-dissolving out region can be increased in the strength.
For overcoming the problems 1) and 2) above, it may be considered to add only necessary components and thereby reduce the loss by the overflow. For adding only the necessary components, a method of adding the components consumed directly to the developer on use may be thought out. Although the problems 1) and 2) may be solved to a certain extent by this method, the problems in the replenishment cannot be substantially solved, because the dissolution of developer takes a time to cause troubles and in the case of problems 3) and 4), the problems are more intensified.
A technique of dipping an inactive electrode in an aqueous solution of neutral salt and causing electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen ion in the anode and hydroxy ion in the cathode is well known. The electrolysis of water does not elevate the salt concentration, therefore, this seems to be more preferred as a means for overcoming the problems 1) and 2). Actually, it is known to use the hydroxy ion generated in the cathode for increasing the pH of a developer used in the processing of a silver halide photographic material.
However, feeding of an alkali agent utilizing the electrolysis is generally not used in the development of a material having a photosensitive resin composition, such as a photosensitive material for printing, where photolysis of quinonediazide or diazo coupling of a diazonium salt is used. This seems to be ascribable to the following reasons. Although it is called a developer, the developer for materials having a photosensitive resin composition is fundamentally different in the composition from the developer for silver halide light-sensitive materials. The developer for materials having a photosensitive resin composition contains organic polymer components water-solubilized and dissolved out from the photosensitive resin composition or contains siloxane-based resin components dissolved out from the aluminum printing plate precursor, therefore, poisoning of the electrode, namely, organic contamination is caused. Then, it is duty expected that the electrolysis operation cannot be stably continued.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,488 discloses a diazo image formation method of forming a dye by the diazo coupling reaction using hydroxy ion generated on the electrolysis. Differently from the developer, this method is realized in a newly prepared reaction system not having organic and inorganic resin components and free of a fear for poisoning. This system is different from the photosensitive resin composition as an object of the present invention.
The development of a material having a photosensitive resin composition accompanied with replenishment has another problem that when the replenishment is controlled using the pH as usual, high precision of replenishment cannot be satisfactorily maintained. The developer for materials having a photosensitive resin composition is designed to maintain a low salt concentration and a high pH in practice so as to accelerate the dissolving out of unnecessary composition components. Accordingly, generation of even a slight amount of hydroxy ion or hydrogen ion in the developer affects the performance of the developer. Nevertheless, due to the high pH of developer, the pH insensibly responds to the fluctuation in the alkali component concentration. Therefore, the pH value used for the control must be strictly set with respect to the tolerance width and a technique of replenishing a large amount of developer to inhibit the fluctuation of pH and thereby maintain stable development performance has been heretofore employed. This high replenishing ratio also contributes to the prevention of precipitation of the photosensitive resin composition components dissolved out. In other words, the prevention of exhaustion of the developer or the prevention of production of precipitates runs counter to the reduction in the amount of development replenisher or waste solution. The demand for a technique capable of realizing these two items at the same time is strong but not yet satisfied.
On the other hand, a system of performing the plate-making directly from the digital data of a computer without any intervention of a lith film is attracting attention in recent years. The development of lasers is recently remarkable and in particular, with respect to solid lasers and semiconductor lasers having a light emitting region in the region of from near infrared to infrared, a high output and compact product can be easily available. As a light source for exposure in the system of performing the plate-making directly from the digital data of the product, the above-described lasers are very useful.
An image recording material suitable for the laser writing is used as a photosensitive printing plate precursor for use in that system. With respect to the printing plate precursor for use in that system, JP-A-7-285275 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese application") proposes a positive image recording material containing a binder such as cresol resin, a substance capable of absorbing light and thereby generating heat, and a substance which is thermally decomposable and in the non-decomposed state, substantially reduces the solubility of the binder, such as quinonediazide. In this recording material, the substance capable of absorbing light and thereby generating heat causes heat generation in the exposed area upon exposure by an infrared ray laser, so that solubility of the exposed area can be obtained.
In the photosensitive lithographic printing original plate capable of direct plate-making in a heat mode, the problems in the environmental issue, profitability, maintenance of quality or working operation come out as a large defect at the time of performing the development processing. More specifically, the heat-mode printing plate is small in the discrimination by the exposure, therefore, readily affected even by a fluctuation factor on a level of causing no problem in conventional techniques. One example is the deterioration in the developability during the storage aging. In the printing plate precursor of this type, when stored for a long period time, the developability of the photosensitive layer is gradually deteriorated and a serious difference is caused in the developability between the time immediately after the coating and the time after the storage aging. This difference brings about fluctuation in the finished quality of development, namely, fluctuation in the quality of printing plate.